MSR's Lightweight Bikepacking Kit List
Posted by Lois Fife on Mar 01, 2024
Bikepacking is a very cathartic experience, allowing you to leave all the stresses and material paraphernalia that we collect during our modern lives behind us and take with us only the essentials for the journey ahead.
Whether you are racing the length or breadth of the country or enjoying a scenic tour of coffee shops and stately homes, your basic needs for shelter, sleeping and making a brew won’t differ greatly so, here are a few items that are compact and lightweight enough to fit on the bike and not weigh you down, allowing you to enjoy your next adventure.
Tents
- MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack 1 Person Tent (Weighs: 1064g)
- MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack 2 Person Tent (Weighs: 1343g)
The main characteristics of a bikepacking tent are pole length and portability by bike. Both these new 1 person and 2 person, Hubba Hubba Bikepacking tents by MSR have 29cm ‘short’ poles that can fit between narrower drop/flared handlebars or fit into panniers or a frame bag. The inner and outer tent comes in a roll top, waterproof bag with a separate pole bag (that attaches to the outside of the main bag). The bag is fixed to the handlebars with 2 soft rubber stoppers that are tightened and secured with webbing and clips. One small but highly effective cord wraps around the headtube and stops the bag from swaying even over rough ground.
This is MSR’s first venture into the world of Bikepacking and as with the other iconic tents in their range, the Hubba Hubba bikepacking tents have a lot of familiar characteristics. The fabrics and colour scheme are very synonymous with the existing Hubba family. The outer is a 20D ripstop nylon in dark green with a large yet very subtle darker logo on the side. The inner tent is white over red - the red floor is 20D ripstop nylon and extends well up the sides and the white upper is primarily 20D ripstop nylon fabric with a small amount of 10D polyester micromesh to help with ventilation to reduce condensation.
Pitching the Hubba Hubba bikepacking tent is very swift, with the inner pitching first. The short length 8.5mm DAC poles snap together to create a continuous pole set, that splits at the head and foot end and is attached to the inner using the metal tabs on the corner. Large plastic clips easily snap the inner to the pole, even with a single gloved hand. The crossbar over the centre creates generous, internal width. The fly sheet is then positioned, attached and tensioned. The tent is freestanding, so it can be moved once erected.
Once pitched the large vestibule (two entrances / two vestibules on the two person) is very apparent, creating plenty of space for storing dirty kit yet still leaving space to enter and exit the tent easily. The inner door opens via two zips to reveal a rectangular sleeping space and a good amount of internal storage too. Two triangular mesh pockets, one at either end and two in the canopy, create a diamond shape, which is framed by tensioned paracord for hanging and drying damp clothing. With an internal head height of just shy of 1 metre, there is lots of room to sit up tall, great if you need to shelter for a prolonged period.
Although this is a bikepacking tent, it can easily cross over to the backpacking world as the short-packed dimensions allow it to fit across the width of a rucksack with ease. Read our in-depth review of the Hubba Hubba Bikepack Tent here: MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepacking Tent Review - “A worthy competitor to the current bikepacking tents on the market.”
Sleeping Mats
Depending upon where and when you are travelling will dictate the level of insulation you will need. The R-Value of a mat will help guide you to make the right choice.
For Summer: Thermarest NeoAir Uberlite Regular Sleeping Mat (Weighs: 264g)
At just 264g and a pack size of 15cm x 9cm, this mat will allow you to travel light. The inflation sack is efficient and inflates the mat swiftly to 6.4cm thick. The 2.3 R-value provides enough thermal protection for the warmer times of the year.
Spring to Autumn: Thermarest NeoAir Xlite NXT Regular Sleeping Mat (Weighs: 377g)
With an R-rating of 4.5, this will provide a good level of insulation and push the boundaries of early spring to late autumn. Weighing in at 377g and with a pack size of 23cm x 10cm, this will prove easy to find a home on the bike to transport. The 7.62cm thickness will provide a comfortable base on which to rest after a hard day on the bike.
Winter: Thermarest NeoAir XTherm NXT Regular Sleeping Mat (Weighs: 457g)
When the temperature plummets, protection from the ground is an important factor for getting a good night’s sleep. At 457g and with an R-value of 7.3 this mat offers a fantastic warmth-to-weight ratio. The 7.62cm depth is comfortable and a pack size not much bigger than a 1 litre water bottle, it is highly portable.
Sleeping Bags
Down bags and quilts are a preference over, synthetic to maximise warmth to weight. They pack down smaller, too. Here are some of our suggestions for different times of the year.
Summer: Thermarest Vesper 45 UL Down Quilt (Weighs: 408g)
Quilts are a popular lightweight choice for both bikepacking and backpacking. The Vesper 45UL quilt weighs in at just over 400g and packs down to 11x13cm makes it an ideal option in mild climates. The high fill power of 900 makes this a lofty, comfortable quilt.
Spring through to Autumn: Thermarest Parsec 32F Down Sleeping Bag (Weighs: 717g)
With a comfort limit of 0°C, this mummy shaped sleeping bag provides a ‘comfortable’ night’s sleep to a few degrees warmer than the ‘comfort limit’ shown. It weighs in at 717g and compresses to an impressive 15x21cm making it easy to pack into a bag or seat-pack.
Winter: Thermarest Hyperion 20 UL Down Sleeping Bag (Weighs: 594g)
The statistics on this sleeping bag are impressive. 900 fill power, 345g of hydrophobic down and a comfort limit of -6°C, yet still only weighs 594g. It is no wonder it is one of our Top Picks in this category.
Pillow
Taking a pillow for comfort is a piece of luxury that packs neatly in the corner of your pack.
- Thermarest Air Head Lite Pillow (Weighs: 64g)
64g is equivalent to a palm full of Jelly Babies but packs down smaller. When inflated, it fills to 10cm thick, but inflation can be adjusted to create a softer pillow.
All these mats, sleeping bags and even the pillow come in an assortment of sizes to suit individual preferences.
Travelling in the winter months, with extra clothing and a warmer sleeping bag, it can be a challenge to get everything on the bike. Often a small backpack or larger bike bags/panniers are needed for extra capacity.
Making a Brew…
- MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe Gas Stove Kit (Weighs: 359g)
This compact stove is easy to light with the inbuilt Piezo spark ignition. The pressure regulator maintains fast boil times even in cold temperatures and low fuel. It will boil 1 litre of water in just over 3 mins. The 1.2 litre pot is large enough for 2 people to cook a decent meal, and then it all packs away into the pot for stowing on the bike.
Other accessories that make life on the road that little bit easier:
- MSR Titan Cup (Weighs: 58g)
- MSR Titanium Spork (Weighs: 16g)
- MSR Folding Utensils Spoon and Fork Kit (Weighs: 38g)
- Thermarest Z-Seat (Weighs: 54g)
If you need to filter water on the go, then this MSR Thru-Link In-Line Microfilter will connect into your hydration bladder and will give you effective protection against 99.99% of bacteria, protozoa and particulates (dirt, microplastics etc). It weighs just 71g.
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Lois Fife |
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Lois is a keen cyclist and is always plotting a route… either for her next trip or looking for a different way to commute to work! She is regularly seen heading for the hills on a packed-up bike, be it for a quick overnight wild camp, or a longer multi-day adventure. She is currently plotting her route to walk the TGO across Scotland. She is a British Cycling level 2 leader and has been involved with MTB Guisborough encouraging the next generation of mountain bikers. Lois joined Ultralight Outdoor Gear in 2021 and is part of the Customer Service Team. She is always keen to get her hands on new kit to try in the field and share her findings on the website. |
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Whether you are racing the length or breadth of the country or enjoying a scenic tour of coffee shops and stately homes, your basic needs for shelter, sleeping and making a brew won’t differ greatly so, here are a few items that are compact and lightweight enough to fit on the bike and not weigh you down, allowing you to enjoy your next adventure. The main characteristics of a bikepacking tent are pole length and portability by bike. Both these new 1 person and 2 person, Hubba Hubba Bikepacking tents by MSR have 29cm ‘short’ poles that can fit between narrower drop/flared handlebars or fit into panniers or a frame bag.